The gold and the scarlet of the auditorium at the Royal Opera House are familiar enough, but this film takes a unique look at the very different world that lies behind those great plush curtains. Backstage we see something of the ingenuity, imagination and sheer hard work that enables a staff of more than 1,000 to stage some 250 performances of opera and ballet throughout the year in what is still an antiquated Victorian theatre.
Given complete freedom to film both at rehearsals and on stage during performances and all over the theatre, from dressing rooms to prop stores, BBC cameras followed the various stages of a dozen productions. There's a first night of Othello. Sir Frederick Ashton rehearses with Margot Fonteyn. Anthony Dowell and Merle Park dance in Romeo and Juliet. The Marriage of Figaro, Peter Grimes and The Sleeping Beauty are all in rehearsal. We see the involvement of stagehands, costume-makers, designers, singers and dancers and hear from them what it is like to work in one of the world's greatest opera houses. Commentary by JULIAN PETTIFER
Photography PETER CHAPMAN Sound recordist DICK MANTON Film editor HUGH NEWSAM Producer
ANTHONY DE LOTBINIERE